Process of separating oxygen from air.



G. M. A. CLAUDE. PROCESS OF SEPARATING OXYGEN FROM AIR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5. 1903.

Patented June 8,1909.

. tract into t e liquefied GEORGES MARIE AUGUSTE CLAUDE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

PROCESS OF SEPZARATING OXYGEN FROM AIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Application filed August 5, 1903. Serial No. 168,282.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGES MARIE AUGUSTE CLAUDE, a citizen of the Re ublic of France, residing at ,62 Lazare, aris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Oxygen by Meansof Liquid Air; and I do here y declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable 0t ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and vuse the same.

This process has for its object improve ments in the process for the production of super-oxy enated air and of oxygen by means of iquid air by the vaporization of the same and simultaneous liquefaction of aseous air previously purified and subected to a pressure greater than the liquid to be vaporlzed.

This invention utilizes a fact that my experiments have proved, although it is denied -y authorities on the subject, t at if gaseous air which has been previously compressed and cooled be com elled to become partially liquefied in a ath of liquid air. the liquid obtained is richer in oxg en than air, this fact of itself alone woul be quite insuflicient to insure a complete separation of the oxygen, but I have found means to utilize it y combining it with various conditions so that it is possible for me by liquefying only a ortion of the air treated to exortion almost the whole of the oxygen of t e air treated, the gaseous residue consistin of almost pure nitrogen. Thus instead 0 having, as in all the known rocesses, to previously hquefy the whole 0 the air in order to obtain the whole of the oxygen in the liquid formed it is sufiicient in my process to merely liquefy a portion of this air, namely the portion which 18 most easily liquefiable, and this is one of the essential-features of my process, as is also the obtaining in the gaseous residue of practically pure nitrogen. In order to obtain this transference of all the oxygen in the part liquefied, the partial liquefaction is operated in a pro ressive manner and in such a way that t e liquefied portions 'return to the rear, that is to say, circulate in a direction contrary to the gases and that during the condensation a washin of the gasesby the liquefied parts is e ected, which and consequently the coldest is used for washing has for its effect to liquefy the oxygen of the gaseous residue by vaporizing a corresponding quantity of nitrogen of the liquid. These conditions are realized by employing for instance as liquefying apparatus a simple group of inclined tubes which enables the liquefied air to be returned to the rear in the opposite direction to that of the gaseous air. t will be noticed that I here employ two powerful effects acting in combination for the same result; on the one hand the liquid formed at the expense of the gas at each point of the liquefying arrangement being richer in oxygen than the said gas the latter is impoverlshed in oxy en. On the other hand this gaseous resi ue is still further imploveri'shed 1n oxygen by its contact with t e inverse current of liquid ver poor in ox gen formed on the discharge si e. These p enomena being repeated and the separating effects which result therefrom combining in all the extent of the liquefying arrangement insure great eflicacy for my arrangement.

The liquefaction may be operated in an suitable manner provided that the liquefier 1s immersed in liguld air, but it is preferable to cause a regular circulation, and in an inverse direction, of the liquid air to be evaporated and of the gaseous air to be liquefied. In conse uence of this regular inverse circulation t e liquid which is richest in nitro en q-. uefying the least liquefiable gas and the liquid which is least cold is reserved for liquefying the most easily condensed part of the air treated thus allowin the pressure of the air to be treated to be imimshed.

In order to allow of the specification being better understood I will now refer to the accompanying drawing, in which as an example a dia ram of an apparatus is shown which ena les the improved process in question to be put in practice.

This ap aratus comprises an evaporating vessel A tilled first with li uid' air derive from any suitable source an in which is immersed a 1i uefying pipe B L inclined toward the point 0 admission N of suitably purified and com ressed air already cooled by its assage t rough an exchanger K in a reverse 'rection to that of the evaporated gases escaping from the vessel'A by apertures O P Q, The evaporating pipe B L has a collector V from which a pi e T draws liquefied air 3. The process of separating the gaseous which it then discfiarges toward the end L of mixture composed of gases which liquefy at the evaporating tube. The vessel A is prodifferent tem eratures, which consists in vided with artitions C D andalso diaprogressively 1quefyin that gas in the mixphragms X i Z immersed in the liquid and ture which is most easi y liquefied.

allowing it to circulate as shown. Li uid 4. The process of, separating a gaseous air evaporates in the vessel A along the w 1ole mixture composed of gases which liquefy at length of the tube B L and gaseous air is liqdifferent temperatures which consists in prouefied in a pj'actlcally equivalent quantity in ressivel liquefying that gas which is most the pipe B iquefiabie, and" separating the liquefied and Owm to the inclination of the liquefying unliquefied gases, and permitting the liquepipe B the liquefied air retrogra es confied gases to vaporize.

stantly toward the lowest art of this pipe, 5. The process of separating a gaseous that is to say toward the collector V. mixture composed of gases which liquefy at 15 In its return toward the rear, the liquid air different temperatures, which consists in percondensed toward the end L and consemitting the gaseous mixture to flow in one quently relatively our in oxygen;seeing that direction, liquelying that gas which is most it has been formed from a gas already pareasily liquefied, causing the liquefied gas to tially exhausted, comes progressively in conreturn in the inverse direction in which the tact with air which is becoming richer in gaseous mixture is supplied and in contact oxygen at the same time that its temperatherewith.

ture rises because the liquefyin pipe is 6. The process of. separating a gaseous bathed toward the end B in liquid: air from. mixture composed of gases which liquefy at which the oxylgen has been more and more different temperatures, which consists in 25 evaporated. itrogen is thus induced to causing the gaseous mixture to move in one evaporate and is replaced in the liquid by direction, li uefying that as which is most oxy en. The result is that when it reaches easily liquefi able, forcin t e liquefied gases the 4 ottom of the liquefying pipe, that is .to to return in an inverse irection to the nonsay at B, the liquid which runs is very rich in liquefied ases and to move in contact there- 0' oxygen, while the gas which escapes at the w1th, an separating the liquefied and nonend L b a tap M having circulated in conliquefied gases. tact wit gradually poorer and finally liquid 7. The process of separating a gaseous very poor in oxygen is found to be thus exmixture composed of gases which liquefy at hausted to the possible maximum. Of different temperatures, which consists in 35 course the liquid air formed and enriched causing the gaseous mixture to move in one and accumulated in the collector V is drawn direction, li uefying that as which is most from this collector by the ipe T which then easily liquefi able, forcin the liquefied gases discharges it intermittent y or continuously to return in an inverse d irection to the nonat the coldest side of-the evaporator, that is liquefied ases and in contact therewith, septo say toward the end L of the pipe, so as" to arating the liquefied and unliquefied gases, induce a re ular progression in s ite of the and permitting the liquefied gas to vaporize. violent ebu 'tion by the use 9 the dia- 8. e rocess of separating a gaseous hragms X Y Z immersed in the liquid. mixture of oxygen and nitrogen which conlhe almost pure uncondensed nitrogen dissists in forcing the mixture in one direction 45 charged from the tap Mmay be collectedsepliquefying the oxygen, causing the liquefied arate y and sent through exchanging device oxygen to return in an inverse direction and a K while the more or less pure oxygen is 001- in contact with the unliquefied gas, causing looted by the pipes P I and O H. the unli uefied gas to escape, and causing the I declare that what I claim is: liquefied oxygen to vaporize.

- 1-.- The process ofseparatingpxygen from 9 The fprocess of separating a gaseous air, which consists complressmg and coolture oxygen and nitrogen which'concompressed and sists in compressing and cooling the mixture, cooled air through but not in direct contact forcing the cooled mixture into a receiver,

with reviously v'quefied portions of the air pro resslvel liquef'ying the oxygen, causing 5 liqueing a portion of the compressed and the 'quefied oxygen to return in an inverse coole air in contact with a portion thereof directlon and in contact with the incoming which is not liquefied, and separat' the liqcompressed gaseous mixture, and withdrawuid obtained from the gaseous resi ue. ing the aseous nitro en.

. 2. he process of separating a gaseous 10. 0 process 0 separating a gaseous o mixture composed of gases which liquefy at mixture ofoxygen and nitrogen which condifferent temperatures which cons' ts in liqsists in compressing and cooling the mixture, uefymg that gas which is most eas' y liqueforcing the cooled mixture into a receiver, fiable separatin the liquefied from'the unpro essivel liquefying the oxygen, causing hqueiied gas, an then permitting the liquethfiiquefied oxygen to return in an inverse fied gas to vaporize. direction and in contact with the incoming ture which is most easily liquefiable by vapo rizing some of the outside body of liquid, and causin the liquefied portion as soon as forme to return in the opposite direction to that in which the gaseous mixture is flowing and in contact therewith.

12. The process of separating a gaseous mixture composed of gases of diflering volatility, which consists in passing such mixture while compressed and 0001 through but not in direct contact with a body of liquid result mg from previously liquefied portlons of the gaseous mixture, progressively liquefying'the portion of the compressed and cooled mixture which is most easily liquefiable by vaporizing some of the outside body of liquid, causing the liquefied portion as soon as formed to return in the opposite direction to that in which the gaseous mixture is'flowing and in contact therewith, and separating the liquefied and unliquefied portions.

13. The process of separating a gaseous mixture of oxygen and mtrogen, which conportions of the gas sists in forcing the compressed and cool mixture to. -flow 1n one direction progressively and partially liquer'ying this gaseous, mixture Q by vaporizing a portion of the liquid resulting from previously liquefied portions of the gaseous mixture, causlng the liquefied portion as soon as it is formed to flow backward in an opposite direction to that of the gaseous mixture and in contact. with the unli uefied portion, and collecting the liquid ric er in oxygen so produced separately from the unliquefied portion rich in nitrogen.

14. The process of separating a gaseous mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, which consists in forcing the .com ressed cool mixture to flow in one direction t rou h but not in direct contact with a bod of 'quid resulting from previouslly liquefie portions of the gaseous mixture, 'quefying progressively a portion of the mixture wine is most easily-liquefiable by vaporizing progressiyely and at successive stages some of the aforesaid body of liquid, causlng the liquefiedportion to return in an inverse direction and in contact with the incoming com ressed gaseous mixture, and collecting the quid rich in oxygen se arate from gaseous nitrogen.

n testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of July 1903.

GEORGES MARIE AUGUSTE CLAUDE. Witnesses:

EDMOND Lncou'rums, AUGUSTUS E. INGRAM. 

